Over a lifetime, the average person spends about one and a half years (yes, years!) in the bathroom. An attractive and efficient bathroom can make life easier and more pleasant, and adding charm—and a few amenities—doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can update an average bathroom for under $200, and even though this modest budget doesn’t include major electrical or plumbing work, it can transform the look of the space, enhance its functionality and make visiting the loo feel more like an indulgence than a chore.
Paint
A gallon of paint costs around $25, and penny-for-penny, it’s the smartest home improvement investment you can make. Why? Paint is the great rejuvenator. It conceals imperfections, recreating a blank canvas that effectively turns back the clock. The right paint color can also create favorable illusions, making a space look larger, smaller, longer or wider. Paint can make a ceiling appear to recede, draw attention to a particular feature or help reflect the available light.
Paint can imply cutting edge style, too. Every year the Pantone Color Institute publishes a color guide for product manufacturers. It includes a list of “in” colors for the coming year and beyond. Designers and manufacturers use these colors to develop their product lines. When you use a color variation on the Pantone list, either as an accent or as part of a core design strategy, it modernizes your décor instantly. Even better, using one of these colors will make it easier to find matching and coordinating items like towels, rugs and shower curtains.
Add Trim
Adding trim to areas of your bathroom is like putting a picture frame around an art print. It showcases without drawing undue attention to itself. Trim provides detail and helps define the space. It’s an inexpensive way to make a bland bathroom look more refined. Trim can take many forms, too. You can:
- Place trim around a wall mounted bathroom mirror
- Outline a utility window
- Install a decorative chair rail
- Add ceiling molding
- Install decorative and functional peg railing on one wall, or even a section of a wall, and use it to hang towels or other items.
Refurbish The Vanity
A bathroom vanity sees a lot of action, and can begin to show wear soon after it’s installed. You can’t replace a vanity for $200 unless it’s the only update you plan to make, but you can improve the way it looks by either painting or restaining it. Both jobs are low cost options that require some planning and labor, though.
Replace The Fixtures
Most new homes are outfitted with standard faucets and showerheads. They’re functional and attractive, but usually nothing special. Switching out your standard fixtures for upgrades with special finishes (bronze, brass, nickel, mixed metal) or enhanced functionality (light displays, hands free, water wise) will make a big difference without putting too big a dent in your wallet.
Switch Out The Shower Curtain
A standard shower curtain is 72″ x 72,” creating a deliberate gap between the top of the curtain and the ceiling. That’s changing. Shower curtains and liners are now available in longer lengths of around 72″ x 96″ that can reach from the ceiling to the floor, concealing everything behind the curtain. This can create a dramatic effect, and make a bathroom look more plush and less utilitarian.
If you don’t like the colors and styles on offer at these new lengths, consider buying a long liner and adding shower curtain loops to a set of washable drapes. This offers lots of possibilities for adding patterns, textures and details to a ho-hum shower.
Revamp The Lighting
Like faucets, cabinet pulls and other fixtures, the standard lighting in most bathrooms is functional but not terrific. The quality of the light fixture in a bathroom gets maximum exposure. It’s usually one of the most prominent features in a relatively small room, and can dress it up or down.
This upgrade has the power to increase both the functionality and the visual appeal of the space, so it’s a two for one improvement. Oh, and if you like to take long, relaxing baths, install a dimmer switch. It’s a mood enhancer and also makes a great night light.
Showcase The Window
If you’re lucky enough to have a window in your bathroom, don’t pass up the opportunity to make it shine. Even if it’s a small window, it’s a focal point you can use to advantage. The obvious decorative strategy is to add curtains, but it isn’t the only option. You can:
- Install art glass film to make the window glass look pebbled or stained
- Place a narrow shelf under the window for decorative plants like African violets
- Add shutters, or narrow faux shutters to one or both sides
- Install roller blinds or a decorative valance
Update Flooring
New style self-adhesive vinyl flooring solutions can be hard to distinguish from tile or even stone floors at first glance. They also have the advantage of being durable, inexpensive and easy to install. You can cut and shape most vinyl tiles with a pair of sharp scissors or a craft knife, and even better, they can usually be installed over existing vinyl, tile and other flooring material—often in a couple of hours.
If your existing floor is dingy, even after a good scrubbing, this DIY cover-up is one good way to make sure your floors get the full rehab treatment. Although prices vary, you can find tiles starting at around $1/square foot. If your bathroom is relatively small, you can outfit it with a new floor for less than you’d spend on a casual dinner.
Add Wall Art
Decorating the walls can have a big impact on a small room like a bathroom. You’re not limited to framed prints, either. Decorators often take more liberties in bathrooms and kitchens than they do in other parts of a home, so decals, stencils, wallpaper borders, banners and other wall art elements are all popular.
A thematic stencil around a plain mirror creates a decorative frame while adding interest to the space. It’s an easy project, too. If your bathroom walls look bare, dress them up with wall art. Just remember to scale the pieces you choose to fit the size of the room.
